How To Make a Double Heart Hand Cast

Our kit is perfect for this two-part, couple hand casting, thanks to its supersize casting bucket and extra packs of our special recipe alginate moulding material and stone powder.

Little Hands First

Whoever has the smallest hands in your relationship will be the first to start their hand casting adventure. The trickiest thing to get right is the pose, but practice makes perfect.

Empty the casting bucket of all your materials and set them aside while you have a rehearsal. Arrange your hands in a heart shape, wrists together, thumbs crossed, and fingers touching.

Plunge them into a bucket, three-quarters full of water, until they are fully immersed. One of the secrets of successful hand casting is to make sure that your hands don't touch the sides of the bucket, or the base. We suggest allowing your hands to touch the bottom momentarily, then bouncing back up again just a few millimetres.

Another tip is to make sure that you are hand casting on a surface that's the right height for you. Being on tip toes for 2-3 minutes while the mould sets will play havoc with your calf muscles (we know from experience!); and stooping down won't be kind to your back. So, make sure you're comfortable!

Ready, Steady, Go!

When you're ready for the first part of the couple hand casting, it's actually quite straightforward. Just follow the instructions in our casting kit and you won't go far wrong.

There are four steps of casting - mixing the alginate, making the mould, filling the mould, and revealing the cast. Hand casting at home is surprisingly quick, and you'll be finished in just under an hour.

The bit to get right for a 'pro' finish is filling the mould. It's actually quite a therapeutic process. First, rub the stone powder and water between your fingers (hands gloved for protection), breaking down lumps and making it super-smooth.

Then, when you're pouring the stone mixture into the mould, rhythmically roll the bucket. This encourages the stone to run into the cavities of finger tips, and air bubbles to rise to the surface.

The last bit of this stage is really fun! Thrash out the anxieties of the day with some vigorous tapping on the side of the bucket! This makes sure that the stone powder and water don't separate, which could cause channels in the stone.

The Big Reveal - Part 1

Perhaps even more satisfying than the pouring bit is the 'Big Reveal' of your cast. As this is a two-part casting, the suspense is even greater. You have to get this bit right to be able to move on to the next stage of your casting.

Turn the container upside down and flex the sides - the mould should 'plop' out onto the surface. You can now have great fun breaking the alginate apart, removing small bits at a time. When you've nearly peeled away all the alginate, use the wooden cleaning tool provided to pick out the last few bits left in the nooks between fingers.

Part one is now finished!

Two Hearts Entwined Forever

Will the big handed member of the partnership please stand-up? It's your turn to take centre stage!

Essentially, you copy everything done so beautifully by your lovely other half, but this time you do it while holding his or her hand cast in your hands. That creates a bit more of a challenge, but we're sure you're up to the job!

We can't stress enough the importance of practising your pose, making sure that you're comfortable before you begin casting. You only get one chance; once you start mixing the alginate, the clock starts ticking. You need to be 'taking the plunge' after about a minute, as it will start to set.

The 'Double Heart' Couple Hand Cast is created by leaving your partner's hand cast inside the mould, removing only your hands after the alginate jelly has set. You then go through stages three and four of the casting process, as before.

The final 'Big Reveal' is breathtaking! Slowly a beautiful cast emerges of your hands, entwined forever in a gorgeous heart shape! Didn't you do well?